Joette Lorion Rice: Martin County has great events planned for Historic Preservation Month

Have you ever passed a quaint "old" building and wondered what story it has to tell? You, like me, may have pondered the past of our historic treasures even before they were lovingly preserved for us, and our children, to enjoy.

We are fortunate to live in a county where many of the residents understand that an historic building is a piece of living history that deserves to be preserved. It tells the story of where we came from. It tells us where we are going.

To celebrate the stories of our special places, and people, the Martin County Commission has proclaimed October as Historic Preservation Month. The commissioners recognize that historic preservation is an important tool that fosters local pride and maintains community character.

In October, Martin County will join its Partners in Preservation (the Stuart News, the city of Stuart, the towns of Sewall's Point and Jupiter, and others) to recognize our historical treasures and diverse cultural history. Building on successful celebrations in the past two years, the Martin County Historic Preservation Board has planned a series of public events. We invite you to join with us as we celebrate some of the special places, and people, that have made Martin County so unique.

The month will kick off Oct. at Jensen Beach Christian Church with the presentation of a plaque to commemorate its designation on our local historic register. Historian Sandy Thurlow will talk about Henry Flagler's importance to the church.

Other activities will include: visits to historic buildings; weekly Wednesday tours of the Mansion at Tuckahoe; book clubs; and lectures on how to restore an historic building, historic districts, the Georges Valentine shipwreck, how our pioneers stayed afloat, the Crary House, and the history of commercial fishing and the Fish House Art Gallery. A fun activity of the month is "Name That Place." An historic photo will run in the Stuart News twice a week and readers will be asked to identify the place. The answers will appear in the paper the same day with more information on the Web. On Oct. 29, the city of Stuart will host the Second Annual Meet Me at the USO Historic Costume Ball at the Flagler Recreation Center. This year's theme, Letters from Home, will honor World War II Veterans and their loved ones. Wear a costume denoting a historical period or person. Enjoy big band music by the Dreamers, swing dancing, and costume prizes.

Support for Historic Preservation Month grows stronger each year, and support for preservation is growing along with it. According to a University of Florida study, "Historic preservation provides numerous benefits, including a profound positive effect on quality of life for citizens and visitors alike." Another study shows it has positive economic impacts. And, it is an important link, not only to our past, but to our future.

So, the next time you wonder what the story is behind that "old" building, remember that historic preservation helps its story, and ours, live on.